Senior Spotlight: Lainie Smith

senior Lainie Smith has run cross country since 7th grade, and during a typical week, she will run 40 to 45 miles.

A few highlights of her cross country career so far have been placing 10th and 13th at the PIAA state meet, and winning the district title as a team in her freshman year.

"This year I hope to finish in the top 25 at the state meet, get to know some of the younger girls on the team better, and serve as a good example to them so they too can enjoy running as a lifetime sport," she said recently. 

During her freshman and sophomore years, Lainie was a member of the swim team and swam the 100m butterfly. She is considering doing that again as a senior.

In the spring she is a member of the track team, running the mile and at times the two-mile.

"I really focus on the 4x8 relay at the district and state levels, because it is more fun to win as a team than individually," she said.

In 2009 and 2010, when Saucon Valley was still competing at the AA level, the 4x4 relay team placed first at districts.

"But my favorite accomplishment was getting 3rd in the state with that relay team in my sophomore year," Lainie added.

Some of her favorite things to do in her free time include reading, bike riding, spending time with her family and traveling. Her favorite food, she said, is wheat bread.

Additional school activities in which Lainie participates are student government, yoga club, National Honor Society and ski club.

Most of Lainie's family is Swedish and she added, "I am in the process of teaching myself the language, but I am not very far yet!"

Her future plans are to attend a small liberal arts college, major in journalism or creative writing, continue running, land a job in the writing field that could take her anywhere and everywhere, learn new things, spread what she knows to whoever cares to listen, and always be happy.

Lainie has a brother, Erik, a sister, Emily, and is the daughter of Chip and Dori Smith.